Will You Remember Me?
by NewYorkNewYorkGirl
Summary: Rory makes a startling discovery, but before she can tell Logan, she stumbles upon something that will alter their lives forever. Can they over come everything and find their way back to each other? Drama, Mystery and Romance. Disclaimer: I own nothing
1. Chapter 1

Alright, so I'm a huge Rogan fan

Alright, so I'm a huge Rogan fan. I've started writing a few other stories, but they have been tragically horrible. And I happened to get this particular idea when I was watching a season 8 rerun of Beverly Hills 90210 (HUGE Brandon/Kelly shipper) . . .

Please let me know whether I should or shouldn't continue writing this.

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Rory lay in her childhood bedroom, staring up at the ceiling. It had been nearly three months since she'd given Logan back the ring, and he'd in turn walked out of her life. It had been a month since she'd returned home from the campaign trail.

A once in a lifetime job. One that she'd truly loved and wanted to continue. But she couldn't. When she'd started, she was an emotional wreck. So she chalked up everything that she was feeling both mentally and physically on the sudden changes. But as the weeks wore on, she realized it was much more than that. Her normally light complextion was paler than usual. She couldn't keep anything she ate to stay down.

Sometimes the mere smell of food made her stomach curl. But even though all the signs had been pointing in the one direction she the most terrified of, she convinced herself that it wasn't happening. History would not repeat itself twice. Not that she was sixteen, like her mother had been. But she was just starting her adult life, her career was just beginning. She wasn't ready for . . . that. Not yet. So she pushed the thought aside. Until she couldn't push it back any longer.

FLASHBACK

Rory carefully stepped out of the shower and onto the tile floor in the hotel bathroom. She wrapped the towel tightly around her body, flinching slightly when her hand grazed her breast. She sighed deeply, trying to will herself into believing that she really wasn't pregnant. It wasn't like she'd taken a test yet. Ignorance is bliss, she thought. She brought a hand up to her tangled mane and pushed some wet hairs back.

"You OK in there?" Paula, her roommate, and co-campaigner asked from the other side of the door.

She nodded her head in affirmation, but quickly realized that Paula could not see. "Ye -" her voice caught in her throat. "Uh, yeah. I'll be out in a minute."

Paula sounded unconvinced that Rory was really fine. "Take your time, we have thirty minutes," she answered back. They were attending a fundraiser at the Resort and Spa they were staying at in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Grabbing a hand towel that rested on the bathroom counter top, Rory wiped away at the foggy mirror, staring at her exhausted features. Sighing, she opened the door and smiled weakly at Paula. "It's all yours."

"You OK?" the woman asked as she grabbed a neatly stacked pile of toiletries to take with her into the bathroom.

"Nothing a trip home and a good visit with mom won't cure," she answered quietly.

Paula knew there was more to it, but decided not to push. "I'm here if you want to talk." She noted Rory's small smile of appreciation before disappearing into the bathroom to shower and get ready. Normally she needed more time to put herself together for such a big event, but they'd been busy all day and this was the first chance they'd had . . .

When the bathroom door finally closed tightly behind Paula, Rory looked at herself in the mirror, then turned to look at her side profile, resting a hand on her flat stomach. She closed her eyes tightly wondering what the hell she was going to do.

END FLASHBACK

A soft knock on her bedroom door brought Rory out of her thoughts. "Yeah?" she called out softly. The door groaned on it's hinges as her mother let herself in.

She flinched. "Remind me to have Luke oil this thing." She entered the room fully and sat down gently on the bed, reaching out to stroke Rory's hair behind her ear in a motherly fashion. "Still no call?" Lorelai questioned, glancing at the cell phone clutched in Rory's hand.

She shook her solemnly. "No." She sighed, sitting up on her bed and leaning her head on her mothers shoulder. A tear slipped down her cheek. "I know that I shouldn't be surprised or hurt. I mean, it's not like he was returning my phone calls before, but . . ."

"It still hurts," she finished for her daughter. She felt Rory nod her head yes. "Regardless, I think you're doing the right thing," Lorelai encouraged. "He has a right to know."

"I've decided to give him until Friday to call me back," Rory said.

"And then?"

"And then I'm going to track him down," her shoulders slumped. "I don't know which is the better option." Rory didn't really like the option of telling Logan over the phone, but she knew that if he did call her back, he'd never agree to meet with her in person. And at least that way, she wouldn't have to look him in the eyes. However, telling him in person meant that she would have to look at him. And those beautiful eyes that had been her undoing so many times before. But what if he was so thrown that he blamed her? She didn't think she could take that . . . . seeing hatred in Logan's eyes for the life that was growing inside of her. A life that they'd made. At least if she told him in person, he couldn't hang up on her. He could walk away, but at least she could see his retreating back, and not have a dial tone ring in her ear . . . telling someone so life altering over the phone seemed too cold. Even after he'd broken her heart . . .

"Whatever happens, Ror," Lorelai kissed her daughters temple, unconsciously swaying them back and forth in a gentle motion, "I'll be here for you. And my grandbaby."

"Thanks mom," Rory offered her a half smile. It hadn't been easy for Rory to tell her mother. She knew that her mom would be disappointed, but that she'd get the support she needed. And at the moment, that included keeping the news of her impending motherhood from those they were closest with. At least until she had the chance to tell Logan, and figure out what she was going to tell her grandparents. While she knew she didn't owe them any explanation, as soon as they found out, she knew they'd bombard her with questions of how she planned to raise her child and have a career. And those were questions she just didn't have answers to at the moment.

Lorelai gave her daughters shoulder a gentle squeeze before releasing her hold and standing up. "I have to get to the Inn, but Sookie wants you to come by for lunch today. She wants to make sure your eating more than our normal diet of gummy bears and ice cream."

Rory smiled at her mom. "Sounds like a plan." She hadn't asked to keep Sookie out of the loop. She was like another mother to her, and Sookie's reaction had been priceless. She'd squealed with happiness and dropped the boxes of pizza that she'd come to the house with. Thankfully the boxes had stayed closed, so they weren't covered in floor dust, but they had flipped upside down and the pizza toppings had to be scraped off the cardboard. It was nice to know that Sookie was in her corner too. Not that she'd expected anything less.

The only other person who knew, and whom she regretted having told, was Luke. He hadn't reacted at all. His face was just a blank canvas. Like he'd gone deaf and blind at the same time. After a minute of letting the news sink in, he stalked out of the living room, and headed straight for the front door, muttering something about chemical castration. Lorelai stopped him before he'd made it off the porch and Rory could faintly hear Luke telling her mother that it would take some convincing, but he was sure he could get Taylor to agree to having another bon fire, and Logan would be roasted like a marshmellow. Lorelai still hadn't been able to calm him down after a few more minutes and she'd finally joined them just as he was suggesting to Lorelai that he and Jackson could bury his body in the field that had been planted with maijuana a year before . . .

It only took a few tears slipping down Rory's cheek for his thoughts of torture and murder to leave his mind. All he wanted was to make Rory's world right again.

She smiled warmly at the memory of her surrogate fathers reaction. He had never particularly liked Logan, though he had learned to tolerate him towards the end. Of course, now that Luke knew, he refused to serve her coffee. And he'd even limited her sugar intake while at the diner. He even tried to monitor what she was eating and drinking while he was present at the house. She had resorted to having Lane smuggle out to-go cups of coffee. But Lane had taken it a step further and smuggled out a bag of coffee grounds, pouring them into a different coffee canister and then handing it over to Rory so that if Luke saw them, he wouldn't realize it was the coffee from his establishment.

The August sun was already hot at ten that morning. Rory sat on the porch swing, clutching her cell phone and willing it to ring. But it didn't. Though she realized if the previous messages were not enough to make him call back, one more call to add to the list wouldn't change that. Changing tactics, she scrolled through her contact list finding the person she would call. Taking a deep breath, she pushed send. One ring. Two rings. Three . . . .

"Hello?" the perky voice answered into the cell phone.

Rory opened her mouth to speak, but found it difficult to form words. Her mouth was suddenly dry.

"Hello?" the voice came again.

"Honor?" she squeaked out, mentally slapping herself. Who else would it be? "It's Rory." Silence. Now it was her turn. "Hello?"

"I'm here," was the soft, confused reply. "I'm just . . . "

"Shocked?" Rory supplied.

"Yeah, that's a pretty accurate assessment," Honor smiled taking a seat in her home. "How are you?"

Rory let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She hadn't spoken with Logan's sister since a few days before his proposal. A tear slipped down her face as she realized that Honor didn't hate her. "That's actually why I'm calling, I-"

"Are you sick?" Honor asked, alarmed. "What can I do?"

Rory smiled. "No, I'm not sick. But I really need to talk to Logan." She could hear the sympathy in Honors voice as she spoke.

"You two haven't talked?"

Rory choked back a sob. "No. Not since I gave him back the ring."

Honor sighed, upset that her little brother hadn't taken her advice. "I told him to call you back."

"Thanks," she said softly. "Do you know how I can get in touch with him, or where I can corner him and make him listen to me?"

Honor chuckled. If anyone could verbally slap her brother to attention, it was Rory.

"He's been out of the country," Honor answered. "About a week after . . . well, you know . . . he decided that he was going to go on some stupid trip with Colin and Finn. He called it male bonding," Honor rolled her eyes. She hated that her brother was being so stubborn. She hated that he'd walked away because of his damned pride.

"Oh," Rory sighed. "What about Palo Alto?"

"He went to California the day after your graduation. Apparently, he got there and it ended up not being what he expected, which is Logan speak for -"

"'I just can't deal,'" Rory nodded her head.

"So he and the boys went on their trip." Honor sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, I haven't gotten a call either. He's emailed me a couple of times. Once to tell me he forgot his cell phone. The second email said that the cell phone didn't matter because they were going somewhere remote . . ." she laughed. "I can just picture Finn trying to convince some beauitful redhead to be the Jane to his Tarzan."

Rory giggled. "Somehow, I don't think that's too far fetched." She sat quiet for a minute, not sure if she should even ask, but curiosity got the better of her. "What's he going to do now? Work wise, I mean."

Honor sighed. "Dad's got his hooks back in Logan again. It's not as bad this time because he knows that Logan has the guts to tell him to shove it and walk away, but it's still sad. It's not what he really wants. But it's safe. It's a constant . . . Look, Rory, I don't know where Logan's head is at right now, but I know that you are the best thing that's ever happened to him. Which is why I'm going to tell you where we'll be this weekend." Honor grabbed her note pad and Rory could hear her flipping through some pages. "He comes home the day after tomorrow, and then Saturday night, my family is throwing this huge bash at the Martha's Vineyard house. It's a networking thing. If he doesn't call you before then, at least you know where to find him."

After thanking Honor, they talked for a few more minutes before Josh arrived home and she had to go.

Rory sat the phone down on the swing beside her, placing her hands on her flat abdomen. She looked down at the material that covered her flesh. "Well, little one, this weekend, your Daddy will know about you. Ready or not."

She stood up and walked back in the house, the porch swing swaying rapidly as she left . . .

TBC . . . .

OK, so this isn't going to be the typical Rogan break-up/pregnancy story. Far from it. It's going to include some mystery as well. I'm sorry there was no Logan in this chapter. But I needed to set the story up . . . . please review. I love reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews

Thanks for the reviews. I hope I can write a story that you all will enjoy and does not disappoint. :)

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Logan walked through the front door of his parents house, followed closely by Colin and Finn. They'd gotten back a few hours earlier and since Logan didn't have a fixed address anymore, he was once again calling his parents 11,000 square foot mansion home.

The trio wandered into Logan's room which for many people was the size of apartment. It had it's own private bath, and a large walk in closet, a work desk, and a sitting area complete with a large comfy sofa and matching chair, facing the television and fireplace that the bed also had a primo view of.

Finn dramatically fell on the bed, face first, burying his head in Logan's pillows. "Ah, this is the life."

"No drooling Finn," Logan said, glancing over at his friend who could quite possibly be the reason that he'd need to burn those pillows and get new ones.

"Never," he mumbled, his eyes drifting closed.

Colin wandered over to the bedside table and picked up a picture, inspecting it closely. He smiled sadly at the faces smiling back at him. It was of Rory and Logan during their time in London over the Christmas break. They were so happy. So in love. He looked over at Logan who'd sat down in the chair at the desk. He opened up a drawer and rumaged around the contents, finally finding what he was looking for.

Logan pulled out his cell phone, turning it on and noticing that the battery was nearly dead. But not quite. He punched in his access code to retrieve his messages. It was full. His face contorted in pain when he heard her voice. His heart was still raw over loosing her. The first few messages she'd left, he could hear the waver in her voice, the silent tears that were falling. She begged him to call her back. She even ended the messages with "I love you." The next set of messages were more detached, but still asked for a return call. Then the calls stopped. A handful of messages over the course of a month had been left by business associates. But none from Rory. He knew, based on what he'd read in online articles, that she had gone on the Obama trail . . . but then they started again. She called, her messages quiet, but her voice betrayed her. He could tell she was scared. But as the days went by, he could hear the anger creep into her voice. She didn't offer ultimatums or threads if he didn't call back. Just that she needed to talk to him. And soon. But for the last week, there hadn't been a single call. It was like she'd gotten busy with work again.

He was proud of her. She'd taken a risk and turned down the job in Providence for a chance at the fellowship with the New York Times. Although that hadn't worked out, she'd ended up with a great opportunity. One that not many people would get the chance to have. And as much as it pained him to admit, he knew that if she'd accepted his proposal, she wouldn't have gone. Their families would insist on planning a big society wedding, and while Rory Gilmore was not a fan of society events, she couldn't deny her Grandmother. And they both knew it was important to the Huntzbergers to have a grand wedding, regardless of whether or not he'd resigned himself from his position at HPG. Plus, Rory was a planner. She needed to know where her life was going, and to have a plan. It was one of the things he loved about her. It was a quirk, but it had proven useful on many occasions.

But he was still hurt. How could one woman, who was barely a hundred pounds, soaking wet with sand bags in her pants, cause him so much heartache?

Colin nudged Finn, who was now slightly snoring and he once again became aware of his surroundings. He glared at Colin for interrupting his peaceful slumber. Didn't he know the sun was still out? Colin just nodded his head towards Logan and Finn saw what his friend found so interesting. Logan was now holding the engagement ring between his index and middle finger, staring at it as the light bounced off the large center diamond.

"You look lost, Mate," Finn supplied, snapping Logan out of his daze. Finn's tone was soft and sympathetic. He'd seen first hand these last few months how Logan was without Rory in his life.

Logan dropped the ring back into the drawer and closed it. "Hmm," he shrugged, trying to seem unaffected.

Colin rolled his eyes. "You gonna call her?" Logan looked at him, his eyebrows scrunched together. "Oh don't give me that look. You know I'm talking about Rory."

Logan sighed. "I don't know."

"How many times did she call?"

"A lot. I lost count," he answered quietly.

"She obviously misses you," Colin told him. "You should call."

Logan looked straight at Colin. "That's rich. You're giving me advice on my love life?" He shook his head. "You don't have the guts to ask Stefanie to be exclusive, and you're telling me to call her back? You were the one who ragged on me in the beginning for even being exclusive with her. You were always reminding me of how much random ass I could be getting, and how it was such a waste to be tied down to one woman. You certainly changed your tune," he snapped.

Colin bit his tongue to stop himself from arguing with his best friend. He liked Rory. "She kind of grew on me, I guess," he shrugged. "She's good for you. If someone had told me three years ago that you'd be the first to fall head over heals and would find the love of your life, I'd have told them they were crazy."

"Me too," Logan muttered, looking out his bedroom window at the acres of land that surrounded the property.

Finn sat up on the bed and rubbed his eyes. "For such a smart guy, Logan, you sure are an idiot." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "If you don't wise up and stop being so stubborn, some other Romeo will ride in on his white horse and carry her off into the sunset." Finn noticed the look at his two friends were giving him. "God, I need a drink," he announced, shuffling his way out of the room in search of his favorite beverage . . . .

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Rory ran her hands across the material of her dress, smoothing out wrinkles that didn't exist in an attempt to rid herself of the nerves that had taken over.

She had wanted to wear a sexy black dress, and killer stilettos, but her body had decided it was time to start changing. If she wore what she'd planned, Logan would've noticed before she had a chance to tell him. And the dress she'd brought no longer fit, so she had to completely change her plans on what to wear, and had instead opted for a white summer dress that hugged her body in all the right places, but was loose enough where you couldn't see a slightly protruding baby bump, stopping just above her knees. She wore a pair of white summer kitten heels with a slight criss-cross above her exposed toes. Her hair was naturally wavy and hung down around her shoulders. Her make-up was natural earth tones and a clear gloss on her lips.

She sighed, dropping down to a sitting position on her hotel room bed. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to control her nerves. But it was useless. Knowing that she was going to see him tonight scared her. It excited her too.

After Honour had told her that he'd left his cell phone stateside before heading off to only God knew where, she'd felt a lot better about him not returning her phone calls. He hadn't gotten most of them. The few that she'd left on his voicemail the day following her graduation he'd probably gotten. But she couldn't blame him for not returning her calls immediately. He was hurt. He needed space to get his thoughts together. She probably wouldn't have called him back immediately had she been in his place.

Then she'd realized that he'd had internet access occasionally, sending Honour emails. Which probably meant that he'd been near phone lines. And he didn't call her back. Nor did he email her.

She raised her fingers to both temples and massaged the tension that had made a permanent home there. "Stop it, Rory," she ordered herself. "You're going to drive yourself crazy with questions of 'what if' . . . "

Glancing over at the clock, she noted the time. It was time to leave. Time to go see Logan.

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Rory had decided to walk to the Huntzberger's house on the Island. It was only a short walk from her hotel, but she'd thought the air would do her good.

Every time a limo or expensive vehicle would pass her by, she would try and see who was inside, hoping for a glimpse of Logan. Hoping that maybe he'd see her, and rather than force her to go to the party to see him, would pull the car over and rush into her arms. Or he'd pull over and ask what the hell she was doing there. It didn't matter what he'd say when he got out of the car – just so long as he prevented her from going to that party to tell him.

But that never happened.

She approached the tall iron gates that kept the home private and secure. A guard stopped all the incoming cars, asking for the occupants for their invitations and names, checking the list to make sure they'd been invited.

Rory sighed as she stood as tall as she could and walk with authority towards the man. She cleared her throat to signify that she wanted his attention. "Rory Gilmore," she nodded her head towards the list. Though she didn't like acting as though she were entitled, this was an event in which she needed too.

"I don't see your name," the man answered in a mono-tone, folding his arms across his chest.

"Honour Huntzburger invited me," she copied his stance. "She told me personally that she had emailed you a revision of the guest list."

The man sighed and pulled out his cell phone, quickly opening up the email account that the company he worked for used for all updated documents from their clients. He scrolled through the inbox on the tiny screen, keeping one eye on the young woman before him, making sure she wasn't trying to create a distraction to just slip into the party. He found the email, titled "Huntzburger Revision" and opened it up. It read 'new guest: Rory Gilmore.' He turned off the screen and stepped aside, allowing her entrance onto the property. "Enjoy the party Miss Gilmore."

"Thank you," she said politely, dropping her act of entitlement. She wandered onto the grounds, completely overwhelmed. There were people standing around in their best ball gowns, the lush gardens surrounding them illuminated by white twinkle lights. The doors and windows of the home were wide open, allowing people outside to see in. Large, expensive flower arrangements were placed in numerous positions, men and women in black and white uniforms scurried around with trays of food and champagne.

"Rory?" she heard someone behind her.

She turned around and saw a beautiful blond woman. "Stefanie!"

The two smiled, embracing each other.

They pulled back and Stefanie looked her friend over. "You look good," she commented, noticing the glow of Rory's skin. "I don't mean to be rude, but what are you doing here?"

Rory's smile faultered. "Looking for Logan," she said softly. "I have to talk to him."

Stefanie nodded her head. "Do you think this is the best place?"

"He hasn't returned any of my calls, and I've left him a lot of messages," she shrugged.

"He's been out of the country," Stefanie answered as the two fell in step beside one another, walking along the edge of the property, looking out at the ocean. "He left shortly after the two of you . . . ." she didn't want to finish her sentence. "Anyway, he and the boys just got back yesterday, so he probably hasn't had much of a chance."

"Or he doesn't want to talk to me," Rory answered, looking at Stefanie, cutting through it all. "If he doesn't want to talk to me, or see me, or have anything to do with me ever again, that's fine. But I have to talk to him. I can't wait any more."

Stefanie nodded her head again, but wasn't so sure she agreed with the location. This was his family's party and if they created a scene, it wouldn't be good. Logan's family had an icy reception to Rory when they first met her, despite her coming from a prominent Hartford family. She knew that Huntzburgers had become deeply indebted to Rory since then, though. They knew that she'd had a positive effect on Logan's life, and had helped him become excited about the possibilities that the business world had to offer. They still had their reservations about her wanting a career, but they were willing to over look that. She made Logan happier than they'd ever seen him. That is, until she turned him down. And crushed him.

Behind them, they heard a roar of masculine laughter. They turned at the sound and they were standing not to far away. Rory couldn't breathe. He was standing there, a smile gracing his features, laughing. Like he'd moved on. She felt a pain grip her heart. She felt selfish for being upset that he was happy.

Colin looked up and his eyes fell on Stefanie. "Hey, Stef!" He then noticed Rory and his smile fell a little. It wasn't that he was disappointed she was there. He was just shocked.

Logan looked over and his laughed ceased immediately. "Rory."

She took a deep intake of air, the first since she'd laid eyes on him. It was happening. Now. "Hi Logan," she offered a slight smile, hoping that he wouldn't be upset with her.

TBC . . .


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews :)

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Logan, Colin and Finn stepped towards Rory and Stefanie. An awkward silence fell over the group, no one knowing what to say.

"What're you doing here, Love?" Finn was the first to speak.

Rory smiled gratetfully at the Australian before her. "Enjoying the view of course," she eyed him up and down playfully before turning her attention out to the sea, her arms sweeping around towards the blue water. When her gaze met Finn's, she was glad that she was easily able to fall back into their banter.

Finn gabbed his chest, and pretended his knees went weak. "Oh, you wound me, Reporter Girl. Here I thought you came to whisk me away to have your way with me. You never did spank me like I requested, you know."

Logan smirked despite himself. "If she had spanked you, that would've defiled her Grandparents pool house, Finn."

"You two did a fine job of that on your own," Finn shot back.

Logan offered a half smile at Rory. "That we did." God, it hurt knowing that she didn't want to spend the rest of her life with him like he wanted to with her. He downed the rest of beer in the bottle he was holding before placing it on a passing waiters tray and grabbing a full one. He twisted off the cap and took a long swig. "Ah," he took a deep breath. "Nothing like a cold beer on a hot summer night," he declared, noticing the others were staring at him curiously.

"So," Stefanie smiled, knowing that Logan needed the conversation to change direction, "Rory, what was it like working with Senator Obama?"

Rory's eyes lit up and a smile took over her face. "It was amazing. Everyone knows that he's a smart man. A genius, really. And I don't throw that word around lightly," she gushed. "The first day that I met him, when I introduced myself, he remembered me. I just about died."

Logan couldn't stop the warm smile that spread across his face as he listened to his Ace ramble on excitedly about working with Obama on the campaign trail. "I don't think you would be any more excited if you'd met Christiane Amanpour."

Her smile faded quickly and she glanced down, remembering that day at the Inn. How she'd wanted to call Logan and tell him that she met her idol. And how. It hurt knowing that he'd walked out of her life just prior to that so that she couldn't share it with him.

"Actually, I did meet her," she announced. "Turns out that someone recommended the Dragonfly Inn, so she stayed there when she was passing through town. Mom was so excited that she ran into to the house."

"But Gilmore Girls do not run, it's in the hand book," Logan teased.

"I know!" she said emphatically, completely missing the teasing. "But she did. She jumped out the jeep and ran straight through the yard and into the house, right into my room. I thought she was crazy."

Colin shrugged "yeah, I can see that," he muttered.

"What happened?"

"She kept telling me that Christiane Amanpour was at the Inn, and refused to get up. So, she did was any sane, loving mother would do for their child who was about to pass up an opportunity to met their idol." She laughed a little. "She hauled me out of bed and dragged me to the jeep. Still in my pajamas."

"You met your idol in your PJ's?" Stefanie's eyes danced with laughter.

"Yep," she giggled.

Logan laughed. "Feetsie pajamas?" he smirked.

She blushed, remembering the first night they'd made love. "Now you know I'm not that kind of girl."

"Logan!" Mitchum's voice boomed over some of the mindless chatter that was taking place around the property. "I've been looking everywhere for you." He approached the group, nodding to the group of people that surrounded his son and stopped on the one person he never would've expected to see. "Rory! This is a surprise," he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I didn't realize Logan had invited you. Good for you, son," he slapped his sons shoulder in approval.

"Actually, I didn't," he looked confused as if for the first time wondering how she'd gotten herself into the party with security everywhere. "How did you get in?"

"I talked to Honor the other day," she answered, leaving out some key details.

"Ah, that explains it," Mitchum nodded and turned his attention back to his son. "I don't want to steal you away, but there are some business associates that I really need for you to talk to before they get completely smash. A few of them are already well on their way."

Logan nodded, though he didn't want to leave. He still needed to find out why exactly she'd come.

"You're gonna be here for a while?" he questioned her. She nodded. "Good. I'll come find you when I'm through."

Rory nodded her head and watched as Logan walked away from her with his father.

Finn's jaw dropped. "Do my eyes deceive me?" He blinked. "I don't believe so. The Johnson twins sure have grown up!" He laughed happily. "And their hair! Glorious red!" He turned his attention to the three people that surrounded him, addressing them quickly. "I believe I have two conquests to reign in."

"Good . . . luck?" Stefanie offered with a cringe.

"Yuck," Rory muttered, thinking of Finn rolling around in bed with two girls who just happened to be twin sisters.

"I wonder if it is true that twins do everything together," Colin mused.

"Rory!" Honor squealed running towards the brunette and engulfing her in a hug.

"It's good to see you," Rory returned the hug and then pulled back to look at Honor, covering her mouth with her hand in shock. "Oh my God! How long?!"

"We're at the half way point," she smiled, patting her stomach lovingly. "I would've told you on the phone the other day, but I wanted to do it in person." She smiled warmly. "Wait, how did you know? Most people are still clueless." She glanced at Colin, looking for a mans opinion. "Just how fat am I?"

Colin looked her frame up and down, stuttering. It was true that she'd gained a little weight . . . "uh . . . uh . . ."

"You're beautiful, Honor," Stefanie complimented. "Congratulations." She turned her attention to Colin. "Come on. You're going to ask me to dance and I'm going to say yes," she smiled, dragging him off.

Rory laughed as he seemed to visibly relax as he left them alone.

"So how did you know?"

"Lucky guess," she shrugged.

"Or maternal radar?" Honor asked, sizing Rory up.

Rory's shoulders slumped. "What gave it away?"

"I knew something big was happening when we talked the other day. I had a feeling that it was something like," she glanced around, making sure no one was watching or listening, "a pregnancy. Plus, I've been watching you from inside for the last few minutes and you've been rubbing your belly."

"I have?" she asked, completely unaware.

Honor smiled a little. "Yeah. Josh says I do it all the time."

"You'll make a great mother," Rory smiled.

"Liar," she laughed. "I've never even held a baby before. I just hope I don't do irreversible damage. Thank God for nannies."

"Yes, the Huntzberger money will definitely come in handy for something other than the newest designer bags and fashions." She looked at the woman who was carrying her niece or nephew. "You'll be an excellent mother."

Rory scoffed. "Babies scare the crap out of me. But mom said I scared the crap outta her, too."

"And she did just fine without a nanny. Think of how we'll you'll do." Rory looked at her in confusion. "You'll have access to nannies too, Rory."

She shook her head vehemently. "I don't want a stranger raising my baby. It's not that I judge you for wanting one, but -"

"But it's not how you were raised," Honor summed up, sensing Rory's discomfort.

"Yeah. That," she agreed. "And my mom had nannies growing up. She didn't like it. My grandparents had nannies to help with me when I was born, and even though I was too young to remember it, mom said she just didn't like her baby being raised by someone other than her. And . . ." she took a deep breath, unsure if she should continue.

"And?" Honor pushed gently.

"And Logan. I know he wouldn't admit it, Honor, but I know that it hurt him to grow up the way that he did. I know that he feels like if he hadn't had nannies and had been able to spend more time with his parents when he was growing up, that he wouldn't have resented them as much as he did."

Honor nodded, knowing Rory was right. "Well, based on the fact that he's in there," she pointed to the house and threw the window where Logan was networking, "and we're out here, that he doesn't know yet. If he did, he never would've left you."

"How am I supposed to drop a bombshell on him like this?"

Honor shrugged. "You two were never conventional." She glanced back into the house and saw Logan making his way back outside and towards them. "I'm going to give you two some privacy."

Rory threw a look over her shoulder and noticed Logan approaching them. "Thanks Honor."

"Good luck," she whispered, winking, and then scurrying off to allow the two privacy.

"So," Rory said tentatively, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"So," Logan echoed, silence falling between the two of them. After a minute, he laughed. "This is ridiculous."

"What?" Rory's posture stiffened and she went on the defensive.

"We both graduated from the same Ivy League school with journalism degrees. I have journalism in my blood, and your a natural. We have known each other a long time, and have a lot of . . . . history," he breathed out the last part after a moments hesitation, "and yet, here we stand, with nothing more to say."

"That's not true," she argued, her mood darkening. She would hardly call their child 'nothing' . . . she knew immediately she was being irrational. He didn't know she was pregnant. It was an innocent remark.

Logan narrowed his eyes, becoming irritated. Why was she so defensive and moody suddenly? It didn't make sense. She came to his parents party. A society party. A society that she wanted nothing to do with. She was friendly with not only his friends, and sister, but his father as well . . . he was still trying to get past her and then all of a sudden, she was at his family's party and she was giving him attitude. How was that fair? Or right?

"You know what, Rory," Logan's voice became detached, "lets just get down to it, shall we? Why are you here? You made it perfectly clear that you didn't want to be with me when you broke up with me."

"When I broke up with you? Oh, no, Buster. Let's get something straight. YOU broke up with ME!"

"YOU GAVE ME BACK THE RING!" he yelled.

"YOU WALKED AWAY FROM ME! FROM US!" she yelled back.

"I told you I wanted it all," he lowered his voice realizing that a small crowd was gathering and people in side the house were now gathered around the open windows near by.

"I wasn't ready!" she protested.

"And you are now?" he shot back.

"NO!" she was getting angry again, but then noticed the crowds that Logan had seen. They moved farther away from the party goers, trying to get some privacy. "God, Logan," she cried, wiping furiously at the tears that were falling. Damn those hormones. "How could you have thought that I was ready for something like that? And the way that you sprung it on me . . . "

"I made a mistake proposing in front of all those people," he admitted angrily.

"Graduation was supposed to be a happy day for me Logan," she crossed her arms over her chest. "Instead, I'll look back on that day and remember that a guy that I loved more than anything decided to act like a spoiled rich brat and walk out of what we shared because he didn't get what he wanted!"

"I never meant for that to happen, Rory," he tried to calm down. He really hadn't meant for such a happy occasion in her life to be tainted with something as painful as that.

She waved off his admission. "Well, it did. And it's not like I had any warning you were going to propose." She started to pace. "I waited for you, Logan. I waited for you to decide that you wanted me and only me. I waited for you when you went to London, I waited for you to come to me when your business deal went bad. I based so many of my decisions on you, Logan! Waiting for you! Asking me to marry you is big, Logan. Beyond big. And I didn't say that I didn't want to marry you. I said I wasn't ready. And could you wait for me? Just once? No!"

Logan shoulders slumped, realizing she was right.

"When you came to Stars Hollow for the Hay Bale Maze, you told me to base my decision on where I worked on what I wanted. That I shouldn't factor you in. Because you'd be there. And then a few weeks later, you have our lives mapped out. Biking, drinking coffee on University Avenue, where we'd live, that I could work at a the San Francisco Chronical . . . you made all these decisions based on what YOU wanted, Logan. You didn't think about what I'd want. It was all about you."

"God, Rory," a tear slid down his cheek. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think about it like that. I've been so hurt that I just shut myself off and tried to not think about you at all, and now, here you are, and I want to -"

"Do you hear yourself?" she continued. "'I want' . . . it's still all about you, Logan," she was on a roll.

He put his head down and pinched the bridge of his nose. She was obviously emotional and upset.

"We needed this, Rory. We needed to get it all out. Lay our cards on the table. We didn't get to do that before," he said. He put his head down and sighed. "But something tells me that when you decided to come here tonight, this wasn't your intention. It wasn't what you needed to talk to me about, was it?"

She didn't trust herself to speak, so she shook her head no. She looked up, wanting to tell him. To just blurt it out. But the crowd had grown in size and now most of the party-goers were witnessing their fight in silence. She laughed bittered. The gossip would sure be buzzing by the end of the night.

"This was a mistake," she whispered, incredibly embarrassed. How could she tell him about the baby now with all these spectators. She'd been shocked enough when she was by herself. It hadn't taken her a long time to form the words to tell her mother. How could she turn his life upside down with an audience?

Logan reached out and grabbed her arm. It was the first physical contact they'd had since the night he'd proposed. On her graduation day, their fingers had brushed against one another as he took the ring out of her grasp. But the sparks were still there.

Scared, Rory yanked her arm out of his grasp. "No, Logan."

"Rory, please, don't go," he begged. The tears were shining in his orbs.

"I have too. I can't do this here. Not now," she fought back a torrent of tears that threatened to start falling again. She looked at the ground as she walked towards the gates which were located behind the silent crowd. The crowd separated down the middle, making room for the distraught young woman to leave.

"When?!" he called after her, not caring that everyone was privy to their conversation.

She didn't turn around or lift her head. Her shoulders shook with tears as silent sobs racked her body.

He ran up behind her, grabbing her arms from behind, successfully stopping her. "When?" he asked with more authority.

She turned around to face him and what he saw broke his heart. Her stared into the eyes of a girl with a broken heart and soul, mascara running down her face as the tears fell rapidly. He knew he was the cause of those tears. Of that heart ache. He didn't know what to do.

"Before it's too late, but after I know it won't hurt this bad," her chin quivered. And with that, she turned and walked off the Huntzberger property, leaving Logan standing there, staring at her retreating back.

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Rory wandered into the quiet park just off the beach. She could hear the waves breaking on the shoreline and the light breeze kicking up off the ocean cooled her body which was still hot with anger. Things had gone from nice to horrible in a matter of seconds. And she knew that she could pin point when that happened, and why. It was her hormones. They'd gotten the best of her and an innocent comment but her on the defensive. She couldn't blame Logan for fighting with her. She'd hurt him too, even though she hadn't meant too.

She found a large tree, with a huge stump and sat down, leaning her back against the bark.

Headlights shone on the green grass as a car pulled into the nearby parking lot, quickly followed by another vehicle. She heard two doors open and close.

"Why did you call me here?" a man asked with a thick accent.

"Never thought of you as the family type," the woman said, her voice running a chill up Rory's spine.

"I've never thought of you as warm and cuddly, so we're even," he sneered. "What was so important that we had to meet in private?"

"I need you to do me a favor," she answered.

"Not on your bloody life," he told her.

"You don't even know what the favor is," she tried to sound upset. "You owe me, Jer."

Jerry rolled his eyes. "We're in it together, Claudia. Devlin took the fall and as long as neither one of us crack, we'll be safe. We'd both be dead if Sonny or Jason ever found out."

"I'll live with that on my conscience until the day that I die. But see, Daddy asked Trevor to look into our," she cleared her throat, "expenditures from the first half of this year, and he's starting to put the pieces together. He has to be eliminated."

Rory gasped and then pursed her lips together. Did she just hear correctly? Was she listening in on a plot to kill someone?

Claudia and Jerry reached for their loaded guns, glancing around the park and surrounding area looking for anyone who might have over heard. When they didn't see anything, they relaxed, slightly.

"Why can't you take care of the little problem?"

"I'm too close to the situation. Besides, I have something on you that you wouldn't want to get out," she sounded downright giddy. Her voice dropped to a low octave and Rory struggled to hear what she was saying. "I've got proof that you are directly involved with the counterfeit drug ring, and I'm thisclose to having proof that you are the cause for the fire at the Free Clinic."

"RORY!" Logan yelled, spotting her from a half a block away, running towards the park.

"Shit," the man muttered, heading for his vehicle quickly. He hissed at Claudia, "You take care of them, I'm stuck here for a while long with my brother."

Rory was visibly shaking by the time Logan caught up to her, which was just at the same time that two sets of high beam headlights shone straight in his eyes blinding him. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the stars to disappear. He heard both cars quickly back out of the parking spaces. One car sped off in the opposite direction.

"I couldn't leave things the way we did," he panted, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

"We have to get out of here," she said, panicked. "Now."

"Why? What's going on, Rory?"

But before she could answer him, the second car drove past them on the road and shots rang out.

Logan dove for Rory, knocking her down to the ground, his body laying on her sheilding hers from stray bullets.

He grimaced in pain as a bullet pierced his arm.

Logan looked back at the road and saw the taillights of the car disappearing down a side road far in the distance.

He rolled off of Rory feeling it was safe to do so. "You OK?" he whispered.

Her face was pale. "Oh, God," she choked out, looking down.

Logan's looked down, his own face paling at the sight. Her white dress was covered in blood from a bullet wound to her abdomen. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, dialing 911.

"It's going to be OK," he started whispering, placing his hand against her abdomen, applying pressure to the wound. He could feel how fast her warm blood was pouring out. "It's going to be OK, baby, it's going to be OK." He had to say it for himself as well.

Her terrified eyes met his. "Baby," she said, though her breathing was becoming harder and more labored. "Baby," she rasped.

"It's going to be OK, baby," he nodded, hoping his eyes were telling her what she needed to hear, not understanding what she was telling him. "We need an ambulance now!" he shouted into the phone at the 911 dispatch operator. He rattled off the name of the park, then continued to try and comfort Rory.

She used all her strength to grab onto his arm, trying to get him to listen to her carefully. "Baby," choked out a third time, her eye lids becoming heavy . . .

"Help is on the way," he told her, still not understanding. "Just hang on." He knew she was starting to slip into unconsciousness. "Stay with me, Ace. Ace, stay with me. Please. Baby, don't leave, I love you, Ace." Her eyes slipped closed, and her hand fell limp from his arm. "Ace?" He called her name. "Ace?"

He broke down in sobs, clutching her body close to his. "God, no," he cried. "Rory! Don't leave me!"

Ambulance sirens wailed in the background as they got closer and closer to the park . . .

TBC . . . .

Reviews please!


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks so much for the reviews. They mean the world to me! :)

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Everything was happening in slow motion.

The paramedics arrived on the scene quickly, pulling a desperate Logan away from Rory's body. They feverishly began to work on her, checking her vitals and trying to get her stable enough for transport. He watched helplessly as her body was rolled on a backboard, then placed on a gurney. As the paramedics ran her towards the ambulence, he followed, grabbing her hand, keeping pace. Without a word, he jumped in the ambulence with her. One paramedic drove, while the other worked to keep her alive.

He ran his index finger along her cool, pale cheek. "I'm here, sweetie." Hot tears spilled from his eyes. "Fight, Ace. You have to fight." He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. The clinical smell of the ambulence was no match for the scent of iron from her blood loss.

The ambulence attendant who was working on her glanced at Logan, feeling sorry for the guy. He continued to work at a fevered pace. "Keep talking to her," he told Logan. "It helps sometimes."

Logan nodded his head, though never looked away from her angelic face. "I can't live without you, Rory. The last few months have been miserable. I know you're mad at me for making everything about me. But it's true. I can't live without you. You have to wake up and yell at me. Please," he begged. "Even if you wake up and tell me you never want to see me again . . . I just need you to wake up. I need to see your blue eyes. I need to know that this world will have you in it. Making a difference."

He could feel the ambulence coming to a stop at the hospital entrance. The back doors opened and the gurney was quickly removed from the back of the vehicle and swarmed by doctors and nurses. They were asking about her vitals.

He wasn't sure how it happened, but he was suddenly inside and a nurse had placed her hands firmly on his shoulders, making him come to a stop. He watched helplessly as she was wheeled out of his sight behind doors. "But, I - she, God," he couldn't form a sentence anymore.

"Sir," the older nurse called out, getting his attention. "She's in good hands. The doctors are doing everything they can." She could see how terrified the man was. "Are you her husband?"

Logan's eyes snapped towards the nurse, away from the doors that Rory had just disappeared behind. He wanted to say yes, but his heart dropped. They weren't even together anymore. He shook his head no.

"Alright," she breathed out. "Do you her? We need to get in touch with her emergency contact."

"Oh, God," his stomach dropped again. "I have to call Lorelai." He grabbed the railing that was along the wall to support himself. His legs were giving out. "She's going to be devastated."

"Can I call anyone for you?" she asked.

He shook his head no. "Just make sure she'll be OK," he told her. "Whatever the cost, just do it. If you have to throw some names around, I'm Logan Huntzberger."

The nurse nodded her head, and glanced at his arm. The bullet that had pierced him merely grazed his arm. He was definitely lucky. "I'll send someone to get that cleaned up for you," she told him. "Get you stitched up."

"Later," he waved his wound off. "Take care of Rory first." The nurse nodded her head, but made a mental note to send someone for his wound.

He pulled out his phone and dialed his fathers number, his heart racing.

"Logan? Where did you run off too?" Mitchum seethed. He and Shira had been doing damage control since the business talk had now ceased and turned into talk of his sons love life.

"Dad," Logan's voice broke. He was broke.

Mitchum immediately knew something wasn't right. "Son, what happened?"

"It's Rory, Dad," he felt tears sliding down his face. "She was shot."

"What?" he felt his own legs give out and he felt himself sitting on the material of the couch next to Honor and Elias.

"It doesn't look good," he let out a shakey breath. "We're at the hospital now and the doctors are working on her. But I need you to have the jet sent to Hartford."

Mitchum nodded his head, though Logan couldn't see. "Of course. I'll have Frank sent to Stars Hollow to pick up Lorelai."

"Richard and Emily will want to be here as well."

He nodded again. "Logan, are you alright?"

"No, Dad," Mitchum's heart broke when he heard his son break down, sobbing. "I'm scared. I can't loose her. Not again."

"I'll make a few calls and have the best specialists on stand by should we need them," he announced.

"Thanks, Dad," Logan sighed. "I really need to call Lorelai. She shouldn't hear this from a stranger."

"Are you sure you want to be the one to tell her?" Mitchum's voice was soft and concerned. Logan had never heard him like this before.

"I have too," Logan answered. "It's what Rory would want. And if it's the last thing I can do for her, I will."

"Don't talk like that, Logan," Mitchum felt the tears welling up in his own eyes. "She's strong. She's a fighter."

The call ended and a dial tone rang in Mitchum's ear.

"Daddy?" Honor asked. "Is Logan OK?"

"Rory's been shot," is all Mitchum said. "Find Colin, Finn and Stefanie," he instructed her. He barely registered his daughters look of horror before turning to his father. "Please find Shira and have the cars brought around to the front. We're all going to the hospital to show Logan our support."

Elias nodded his head. He too had seen how broken Logan was without Rory. Truth be told, like his son, Elias had not cared for Rory in the beginning. They both thought she was a flavor of the week. But she had staying power. And it concerned them that he had fallen in love with someone as ambitious as her. She didn't fit the society wife mold. But Logan wasn't one for following the rules. He followed his heart. And his heart had lead him to Rory, time and time again. He took solice in the fact that she wasn't a gold digger. When Mitchum had informed him that Logan had asked for the family ring to propose, he was thrilled. Then crushed, right along with Logan, when she'd said no.

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Logan took a deep breath, staring at the number on the screen of his cell phone. He closed his eyes as he pressed send. He looked up at the stark ceiling of the hospital waiting room. Thankfully it was empty. One ring. Two rings.

"Hello?" came Lorelai's confused voice. Obviously she didn't recognize his cell phone number.

"Lorelai?" Logan questioned, his voice cracking again. God, how was he going to do this?

"Logan?" she questioned. She knew Rory had planned to tell him tonight. But she never expected to hear from Logan before her own daughter. Truth be told, she wasn't sure she'd even hear from Logan ever again. It wasn't that she didn't think he'd step up to the plate. In the back of her head, she knew he would. But Chris had left her. Granted she didn't want to marry him either, but he'd left her alone, with a baby to raise. No help, what-so-ever. Not even a check. And like Logan, Chris came from money.

"Yeah, it's me," he took a deep breath. "Something's happened."

"Doctor Thompson, please report to the ER, Doctor Thompson to the ER," the PA system cackled.

"Are you in a hospital?" Lorelai asked suddenly frantic. Had something happened to her baby? Or her baby's baby?

"You and your parents need to go to the private air strip in Hartford," Logan answered. He knew once Lorelai knew what had happened, she'd be hysterical and wouldn't hear him. "You need to get here. It's bad."

"What happened?" she asked softly sinking down onto a kitchen chair.

"It happened so fast," his head dropped, looking at the dried blood on his hands. Rory's blood.

"What happened?" she demanded as Luke came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He knew something was up.

"She came to the party, and everything was fine, then we fought and she left. I found her at a park and then," he blinked away the tears. "Someone shot at us."

Lorelai dropped the cordless phone. It fell on the tiled floor with a thud, and Logan could hear her emotional outburst of dispair. "My Baby!"

Luke picked up the phone and put to his ear, gathering Lorelai in his arms, rubbing her back soothingly. "This is Luke," he said to the other person on the line.

"Luke, Rory's been shot," Logan told him quietly.

"WHAT?!" he boomed.

"The jet is going to meet you at the private air strip. Get Lorelai and her parents there as soon as possible," he instructed the man. "She needs to get here soon. It doesn't look good."

Luke's head dropped. "Logan, what about the -"

"Excuse me, Sir," a gruff voice spoke, his voice far away. Luke assumed it was someone adressing Logan.

Logan looked up and saw two officers.

"We need to speak to you about tonights events," he told Logan.

Logan nodded. "Luke, I have to go. Just get them here, please," he begged again before flipping his phone shut, not hearing Luke yelling for him to wait, asking about the baby.

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Logan told the officers of the events from earlier in the evening, at the party. Their reunion. Their fight. Why she ran off to the park. How he found her.

"Everything happened so fast," Logan said in a daze. "I just wanted to protect her," he shook his head. "I heard the shots, and I reacted." He stood up and started pacing. His anger was beginning to surface. He punched the wall in frustration, the plaster breaking and a gaping whole were his fist had connected now stared back at him.

"You did eveything you could," Officer Blake assured him. After all, there was a reason why the phrase 'faster than a speeding bullet' had been coined. "You might've saved her life."

Logan looked at the officer and shook his head in disbelief. "I was the reason she was in that park."

"Were you holding the gun?" the officer asked. Logan shook his head no. "If you hadn't knocked her down, she might've been hit with more bullets. If you hadn't shielded her in the position that you did, she might've taken the bullet that grazed your arm. You did everything that you could."

"I didn't see the car. I can't give you a description of the shooter. Because of me, they will probably get away with this!" he ranted.

"We're going to do our very best to make sure that justice will be served," the second cop, Officer Marks, offered.

"Whatever the cost of the investigation," Mitchum's voice boomed as he and a small group entered the waiting room where Logan was being interviewed, "the Huntzbergers will cover it."

The officers nodded and left the room.

"Are you OK?" Colin asked, the first to speak. Everyone else was stunned into silence upon taking in the blood stains on his clothes.

Logan laughed bitterly.

"OK, stupid question," Colin conceeded.

Logan kicked a chair and it flipped over. "If I ever get my hands on the Son of A Bitch that did this," he quietly raged, "I'll kill 'em." And he meant it.

"Logan," Honor approached her brother and placed a hand on his arm, "did Rory tell you why -"

The door swung open again and a man in scrubs entered. He removed the doctors mask.

"How is she?" Logan interrupted his sister.

"Are any of you family?" The doctor asked. The silence was deafening, and he sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't release any information until her family gets here."

"Please," Logan begged again. "Something. Anything. Is she still alive?"

The doctor saw the broken man that Logan was. He sighed. "She's lost a lot of blood. She's in critical condition." He looked around the room, knowing that the people were waiting for more. "I'm sorry, but I can't say anything else."

Honor grasped Logan's arm a little tighter. She knew Logan was still unaware, and he should find out in private, but there was no time. "What about the baby?"

Logan stared at Honor, his eyes wide in shock. "Baby?"

"I'm sorry," Honor breathed out looking at her brother. She released her grasp on his arm and moved to put her arm around his waist, pulling him to her in a comforting embrace. She looked back at the doctor. "My brother," she nodded her head towards Logan, "is the father."

The doctor nodded his head and turned to address Logan. "I'm sorry. The baby didn't make it."

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Authors note: I know a lot of people are going to be upset that the baby didn't make it. But I have a lot of other twists and turns planned, and if you are willing to stick it out, I will do my best not to disappoint. Like I said in the first chapter, this is not the typical Rogan/baby story.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks so much for the reviews!  They make my day. Sorry for the delay. I've been sick since before the last update, we had the Canadian Thanksgiving a little over a week ago, my birthday was on the weekend . . . it's just been crazy busy.

Before I go on with this chapter, I'd just like to say that I'm not a doctor, so a lot of what I'm saying is just being made up. I'm trying not to get too in depth for that simple reason, but you may have to take what you read with a grain of salt and a dash of fantasy! 

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The sound of the clock ticking on the wall was the only noise in the room, despite it's many occupants.

Logan stood against the wall, looking out the window into the darkness of night. A storm up north had shifted directions suddenly and the wind was howling outside. The rain pelted the glass. It fit the mood of the room.

"Here," Finn said solemnly, handing Logan a paper cup of coffee.

Logan didn't turn around to face his friend. He just stood with his back to them, not saying a word.

"Rory's strong," Colin told him approaching the two men. "She's going to be fine."

Logan turned to his friends up on hearing this, tears silently streaming down his face. "How do you know? How do you know that she's going to be fine? Even if she recovers, she lost a baby!" He closed his eyes tightly. "Our baby," he whispered.

He couldn't believe it. Just a few hours ago, Rory wasn't part of his life. Then there she was. And the second he'd seen her, he knew he still loved her. Maybe even more so than the last time they'd been together. Now, their lives were forever changed. She was shot. And their unborn baby, a baby he'd known nothing about until it was too late, was gone.

He sat down in a nearby chair, feeling his legs grow weak. "How am I supposed to tell her? It's my fault."

"No, it's not," a feminine voice said, causing all three men to look at her.

Lorelai sat down beside Logan. Colin and Finn both kissed her cheek before giving them some privacy.

"If we hadn't fought, she wouldn't have left the house," Logan told her. "She wouldn't have gone to the park, and there wouldn't have been people shooting at us."

Lorelai closed her eyes, trying to rid herself of the visions of someone shooting at her daughter.

"You can't blame yourself," she told him.

"I love her, Lorelai! How can I not blame myself?" He shook his head. "I've messed a lot of things up in my life, but the one thing I never wanted to do was hurt her. I wanted to protect her! But all I did was hurt her. And our baby! A father is supposed to protect his child!" The tears sprang from his eyes again, and he turned to look at the mother of woman he loved. "It's not fair."

The tears started falling out of her own eyes again as she pulled him towards her, hugging him to her chest. "I know."

The two rocked back and forth, consoling one another.

"Lorelai?" Richard questioned, getting their attention. The mans eyes were sunken in with worry. "The doctors on his way."

Lorelai nodded in acknowledgement. When they'd entered the hospital, she, Luke and her parents had run into Shira and Honor. The two Huntzberger women gave the Gilmore family the information they knew of Rory's condition, which wasn't much, as well the news of the baby. Richard and Emily had gone off in search of Rory's doctor while Luke escorted Lorelai into the waiting room.

"Excuse me," she said quietly, moving away from Logan and her father and towards Luke. When she reached him, she offered him a small, sad smile before it faded and she sunk into his arms, wishing she'd wake up from the nightmare and her daughter would be at home in Stars Hollow, sleeping soundly in her bed . . .

"How're you doing son?" Richard questioned Logan.

He just looked at Richard, not knowing what to say. He wasn't fine. But physically, he could be in a lot worse shape. He exhaled sharply. "She has to be OK, Richard."

Richard nodded his head in agreement as Emily approached them.

"Logan," Emily greeted quietly, looking tired and haggard.

He leaned in and embraced Emily tightly.

"The doctor just came in," Richard informed them, causing them to break apart and move farther into the room.

"I assume you are Ms. Gilmore's mother?" Lorelai stood up, and nodded her head, wiping away the tears.

"How's my baby?" she questioned.

"She's stable," Dr. Hudson answered, but before he could continue, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. "She's not out of the woods yet," he cautioned. "Would you like to go somewhere private?"

She shook her head no. With everyone else able to hear it from the doctor, it would prevent her from having to repeat it.

"When she came in, her vitals were not stable, so operating immediately was far too risky. After we got the bleeding under control, and gave her a blood transfusion, her vitals stabilized. At that point, we were able to run some in depth tests to see what path the bullet took. At this point, the bullet is resting exceptionally close to the liver. One false move could be fatal."

Luke could feel Lorelai's body weight increasing as she tried, and failed to hold herself up. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "What's the next step?"

"There are no guarantees," Dr. Hudson said, though that wasn't the question. "So, surgery is risky. But I feel it's the best option."

"Is anyone on staff qualified to perform such a delicate procedure?" Emily asked, grasping as Richard's hand.

"I have consulted with the Chief of Staff, and we both feel that this surgery is best performed by a doctor from Upstate New York. His name is Patrick Drake and he tackles risky surgeries almost daily. And his success rate is one of the highest. We've already contacted him, and he's on stand-by."

"Get him here," Logan spoke for the first time. He glanced at Lorelai and she nodded her head in agreement.

"Can we sit with her?" Lorelai asked.

He nodded. "No more than two in the room at a time." And with that, he exited the room, heading off to make a phone call that could either save Rory's life, or end it.

Lorelai stood up and went over to Logan. "Will you come with me?" She saw confusion in his eyes. "She would want you there."

He nodded, accepting her invitation.

Quietly, they made their way down to her private room. She was hooked up to monitors and IV's. A nurse was writing something down in her chart.

"Oh, God," Lorelai cried out, rushing over to the side of the bed. "I'm here," she whispered in her daughters ear.

Logan sat down on the other side of the bed, grabbing her small hand, and bringing it up to his lips. He glanced over at the nurse. "When will she wake up?"

The nurse glanced at Logan. "We've got her on a medication that will keep her sedated."

"Is that really necessary?" Lorelai questioned. It didn't sound humane.

"It will give her a better chance," the nurse answered. "It allows her body to focus on physically healing." She didn't want to frighten the two with stories of what she'd seen happen to people who hadn't been sedated. She's seen victims remember the traumatic event, flip out and injure themselves further. "If you'll excuse me, I have rounds. I'll be back shortly to check on her."

"I'll tell her," she said softly, brushing her daughters bangs to the side of her forehead. "About the baby, I mean."

Logan shook his head no. "I should do it," he told her. He looked up at met Lorelai's eyes. "I didn't know about the baby. Rory didn't get the chance to tell me because we were being too stubborn and fighting about things that don't really matter. When the doctor said that our baby didn't make it, my world stopped. I lost something I didn't even know I had." He looked back at Rory. "I just don't know how tell her."

Lorelai nodded her head. Truth be told, she didn't know how she'd break the news to her daughter either. She'd never dealt with the loss of a child.

"What if we told her together?" Logan asked after a few minutes of silence. "She's going to need you."

Lorelai nodded her head in agreement. They would tell her together. "She's going to need you too, kid."

Lorelai reached across the hospital bed and grasped his free hand which was resting delicately on her leg. "Hey," he looked up. "She loves you. She never stopped."

He offered her a watery smile, gripping her hand tightly in his own before breaking their contact. He moved his hand to hover above her stomach, over an area where he knew the bullet had not been. Finding the courage, he delicately traced his digits over a small part of gown covered flesh. "We love you, baby," he whispered to her stomach. "We love you so much. I'm so sorry."

He removed his fingers from her stomach and removed his other hand from hers. "So sorry," he cried, burying his face in his hands.

Lorelai's heart broke. She stood up and walked to the other side of the bed, grabbing his arm and encouraging him to stand up. When he did, they held on to one another tightly, both sobbing over the loss of an innocent life, scared they were about to loose another.

TBC . . .


End file.
